On Wednesday 5th October, European drug user activists from 10
countries (#1) met in Marseille to discuss the development of drug
user organising. The meeting reviewed and discussed the interim
findings of an audit of drug user organising in Europe. The meeting
also took the important decision to form a European Network of
People who Use Drugs. <EuroNPUD >
The meeting recognised that Europe has a long and proud
tradition of both harm reduction and drug user organising. Drug
user activists have contributed to this positive history as
advocates, watchdogs and innovators. The positive benefits of this
history in terms of harm reduction provision and the promotion of
drug user rights needs to be defended in many parts of Europe and
initiated in those areas where it is far from established. At the
same time, EuroNPUD welcomes the introduction of such new harm
reduction innovations, such as consumption rooms and heroin
assisted treatment (HAT) in certain countries and commits to
promoting these approaches across Europe in partnership with our
harm reduction allies.
EuroNPUD notes that Europe is also home to a range of drug
policy initiatives whose results are creating great excitement and
interest. EuroNPUD will make drug law reform advocacy and
campaigning a particular focus of its work over the next two
years.
EuroNPUD is developing an online directory of drug user groups
and we invite other European drug user groups to contribute to this
living resource. We hope this will support better networking and
understanding of the positive contribution of activist drug users
in Europe. We call on other European drug user groups to endorse
and join this exciting and important new initiative. We have also
prioritised reaching out to the younger generation of people who
use drugs to secure the future of our network.
We would like to thank the EU for funding this important
initiative and commend our harm reduction partners EuroHRN for
recognising the importance of the meaningful participation of
people who use drugs and we look forward to continuing our
collaboration together.
#1. Portugal, Spain, France, Sweden, Norway, Finland, UK,
Germany, Netherlands, Romania, Albania